Apparatus for treating and utilizing peat fuel.



W. L. SHEPARD & H. J. WIGKHAM. APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND UTILIZING PHAT FUEL. APPLI'GATION FILED SEPT. 8; 1909. 946,788; Patented Jan. 18,1910.

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TINTTED PATENT FFTCE.

WILIBUR L. SHEPARD, F ELMWOOD, AND HORACE J. WICKI-IAM, OF MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND UTILIZING FEAT FUEL.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, TVILBUR L. SHEPARD and T-lonxcn J. TVIGKHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Elmwood and Manchester, respectively, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have i n vented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Treating and. Utilizing Peat Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an apparatus which is adapted to transform peat from the moist condition it is in when it comes from the bog, to a condition in which it is a de sirable and cheap fuel. This apparatus is so designed that the peat which is transformed into good fuel is at once conveyed to the furnace and used to keep up the fire.

The object of the invention is to provide a simpie and easily operated apparatus which can be applied to a vertical boiler and used to continuously transform moist peat into efficient fuel, economically and quickly, by means of the waste heat of the furnace fire. and feed that fuel to the furnace for keeping up the fire. I

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a sectional elevation of a furnace and vertical boiler, with a peat drying and feeding apparatus which embodies the invention. arranged in connection therewith. Fig. 2 shows a vertical transverse section of the drying and feeding apparatus on the plane indicated by the dotted line 22 on Fig. 1.

In the apparatus shown there are four parallel conveyer tubes 1 which communicate with each other at opposite ends. There may be any number of these tubes. The lowest conveyer tube at one end opens into the smoke box 2 at the top of the vertical boiler 3. This boiler, besides having the usual smoke fiues 4:, is shown as provided with a. central feed spout 5 having a bell mouth 6 at its upper end beneath the opening between the lowest conveyer tube and the smoke box. The lower end of the fuel feed spout opens through the crown sheet 7 above the fire box 8.

Contained in each of the conveyer tubes is a spiral conveyer 9. These conveyers are mounted on shafts 10 that are connected by a train of intermeshing gears 11 on the outside at one end of the tubes. In the apparatus shown, the shaft of the lowest conveyer is provided with a gear 12 which is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 8, 1909.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 516,684.

driven by a pinion 13. on the shaft of which is a pulley 14 that is belted to a pulley 15 on the driving shaft 16. On the driving shaft, which may be belted to any convenient source of power, in the end of the highest conveyer tube is a fan 17. This fan is shown as located adjacent to the opening from the top tube to the bottom of the stack or smoke pipe 18. The top tube is provided with a feed hopper 19.

When this apparatus is in operation. peat deposited in the hopper, is carried back and forth through the several tubes which open into each other at opposite ends, by the spiral rotatory conveyers, and is finally dropped through the fuel feed spout into the fire box. While the peat is being fed in this manner, the heated gases arising from the fire are drawn by the fan through the several conveyer tubes in a direction opposite to that in which the peat is being fed through those tubes. This action thoroughly dries the peat and puts it into suitable condi ion to be used in the furnace as fuel. \Vith the peat and hot draft moving opposftely in the manner described, the peat is subjected to the highest heat just before. it enters the furnace, and all mois ure is taken up and carried out to the stack by the d aft of hot escaping gases.

The invention claimed is:

1. The combination with a vertical boiler and furnace having'a fire box below and a smoke box above the boiler, of tubes communicating with each other alternately at opposite ends, conveyers in said tubes, means for driving the conveyers, a connection be tween the bottom tube and the smoke box above the boiler, a fuel passage from the smoke box above to the fire box below the boiler, a smoke stack opening from the top tube, and means for admitting peat to the top tube.

2. The combination with a vertical boilerand furnace having a fire box below and a smoke box above the boiler, of tubes communicating with each other alternately at opposite ends, conveyers in said tubes, means for driving the conveyer-s, a connection between the bottom tube and the smoke box above the boiler, a fuel passage from the smoke box above to the fire box below the boiler, a smoke stack opening from the top tube, a blower for producing a draft from the fire box through the tubes in a direci tion opposite to the feed of the conveyers, and means for admitting peat to the top tube.

3. The combination with a vertical boiler and furnace having a fire box below and smoke box above the boiler, of tubes communicating with each other alternately at opposite ends, conveyers in said tubes, means for driving the conveyei's, a connection between the bottom tube and the smoke box above the boiler, a fuel feed spout from the smoke box below the opening from the bottom tube to the top of the fire box, asmoke stack opening from the top tube, and means for admitting peat to the top tube.

4:. T he combination with a vertical boiler and furnace having a fire box below and a smoke box above the boiler, of tubes communicating with each other alternately at opposite ends, spiral conveyers in said tubes, gearing for driving the spiral conveyers alternately in opposite directions, a connection between the bottom tube and the smoke box above the boiler, a fuel passage from the smoke box above to the fire box below the boiler, a smoke stack opening from the top tube, and means for admitting peat to the top tube.

The combination with a vertical boiler and furnace having a fire box below and a smoke box above the boiler, 01 a conduit containing a conveyer, means for driving the conveyer, a connection between one end of the conveyer and the smoke box above the boiler, a fuel teed spout from the smoke box to the fire box, a smoke stack opening from the other end of the conduit, and means for admitting peat to the conduit near the stack.

VILBUR L. SHEPARD. HORACE J. lVICKHAB l. lVitnesses H. It. lVniLiAMs, JOSEPHINE M. Srnmirrnn. 

